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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Find the answer

Suppose P(x)P(x) is a polynomial with real coefficients such that P(t)=P(1)t2+P(P(1))t+P(P(P(1)))P(t)=P(1) t^{2}+P(P(1)) t+P(P(P(1))) for all real numbers tt. Compute the largest possible value of P(P(P(P(1))))P(P(P(P(1)))).

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Let (a,b,c):=(P(1),P(P(1)),P(P(P(1))))(a, b, c):=(P(1), P(P(1)), P(P(P(1)))), so P(t)=at2+bt+cP(t)=a t^{2}+b t+c and we wish to maximize P(c)P(c). Then we have that a=P(1)=a+b+cb=P(a)=a3+ab+cc=P(b)=ab2+b2+c\begin{aligned} a & =P(1)=a+b+c \\ b & =P(a)=a^{3}+a b+c \\ c & =P(b)=a b^{2}+b^{2}+c \end{aligned} The first equation implies c=bc=-b. The third equation implies b2(a+1)=0b^{2}(a+1)=0, so a=1a=-1 or b=0b=0. If b=0b=0, then (a,b,c)=(0,0,0)(a, b, c)=(0,0,0). If a=1a=-1, then b=(1)3+(1)b+(b)b=(-1)^{3}+(-1) b+(-b) or b=13b=-\frac{1}{3}, so c=13c=\frac{1}{3} and (a,b,c)=(1,13,13)(a, b, c)=\left(-1,-\frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{3}\right). The first tuple gives P(c)=0P(c)=0, while the second tuple gives P(c)=132132+13=19P(c)=-\frac{1}{3^{2}}-\frac{1}{3^{2}}+\frac{1}{3}=\frac{1}{9}, which is the answer.

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